Introduction
Where did the Summer Go? Where did the Summer go, or has it not arrived yet? However, despite the extremely erratic weather this month, we have been blessed with a steady influx of members and families, of all generations, enjoying their stay in London. The City has so much to offer all ages and The Club is ideally located to make a home base when visiting. It’s also been a pleasure to host many of our reciprocal Club members and this year there has been a noticeable appearance of members from The Queensland Club, Brisbane and The Australian Club, Melbourne.
GENERAL NEWS
Now Every Friday is a Smart Casual Day! Following the General Committee’s direction, from today the Dress Code will revert to normal, but every Friday will be smart ‘casual dress’ all day, running conveniently into the weekends which are also smart ‘casual dress’. We have received a very strong indication from members that you believe this to be a positive change and will attract more members to visit and host events at The Club on a Friday. We will wait to see and will monitor closely what changes actually occur due to this relaxation in dress code.
Key Card August Prize Draw. I am delighted to announce that the winner of August’s Key Card Prize Draw is Mrs Julie Jones from Shropshire. Mrs Jones, we will be contacting you imminently. The winning prize is a complementary bottle of wine from a special Jelle wine selection which can be collected when next visiting The Club. The next draw will be at the end of September, so please remember to return your plastic keys and key holder to our Reception on check out. It could help to save the planet and also provide you with a bottle of Jelle’s finest vino!
August Catch Up Complete. The good work behind the scenes has continued this month as all departments have taken advantage of the dip in operations to get after tasks that would have been impossible to undertake in busier times. The Maintenance Team under Andy Skinner’s guidance have been working on plumbing systems and redecorated a number of bedrooms rooms. Importantly, the final phase of Digital Key Card system has been delivered by the contractor and all final snagging rectified.
The Victoria Embankment Foreshore Work - Update. Just below The Club, the Victoria Embankment Foreshore works is in its final few weeks before completion. The final piling removal work, we have been assured, is now in progress which will remove the 'cofferdam' (a dry working area built into the river) where construction work has now finished. However, the significant vibration caused when removing the piles will continue until they are all removed later this month.
Introducing New Team Members. I thought it would be helpful, as we strengthen the Club Team to inform you of new arrivals. Whether working in a ‘Front of House’ role, such as in the Reception, Bar or Restaurant and regularly meeting members, or working in role that is often out of sight such as Housekeeping or Maintenance, you would want to know who is providing that excellent level of service. Recent arrivals to our Team include:
Rupanjali Bhatia has strengthened our Reception Team. Despite only being with us a few weeks, she has been quick to learn the wide breadth of roles and responsibilities that being on the Reception at The Club demands. Originally from Northern India, Rupanjali has worked in hospitality for 5 years and most recently at Cheval Residencies as a receptionist.
Dimitar Todorov is a new Housekeeping Porter and has only been with us a few weeks. Diligent and hardworking he is a popular and welcome addition to Jacinta’s Housekeeping team.
Matt Cornish is a new acquisition to Paul Hogben’s Kitchen Team. With a varied career starting in high end restaurants, including a few years in South America. In a return to Finsbury Park, Matt then turned to retail and customer service before going back to high-end restaurants and hence his recent move to The Farmers Club.
Recent Club Events
Brooklands and Champagne Concord Experience. Craig and thirteen ‘petrol-heads’ visited the Brooklands Museum, the birthplace of British motorsport and aviation. They had an enjoyable but busy schedule taking in the immaculately maintained sports cars and a more sedate glass of champagne as they re-lived the excitement of the supersonic age with a tour and ‘flight’ on Concord. |
| Bespoke Member Experiences. I still bump into members at The Club who are not aware of the ‘bespoke’ service that Craig and Kirsty provide for members. So, if you are thinking about coming to London and aren’t quite sure about what is the best entertainment on offer now and into the future, contact the Team. They will be able to advise and pull together a programme of activity that meets your needs. They will also be able to find the best deals and we always pass on these savings to you |
Look Forward |
Upcoming Events. All the current planned events can be found on our website HERE, but as ever, with such a busy programme I want to highlight just a few upcoming activities:
Mental Health Training Day – Last Chance. This is now a last chance to put your names down to join the RABI sponsored Farming focused ‘Understanding Mental Health’ training day, on Saturday 7th October at The Club. This event is open to all members.
The Westmorland Show. The Chairman and I are hosting a reception in the President’s Lounge between 4.00 and 5.30pm for members and our guests at the Westmorland County Show on 13th September. We currently have 16 members signed up to join us, so could I please encourage all those thinking about attending to sign up now and where possible bring along your friends and prospective new members. In addition, our guest speaker, Mary Smith, Chief Exec of ‘Growing Well’, will provide insight on rural mental health issues. Meurig and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the Show.
And finally…
Mental Health Training Day – Last Chance. This is now a last chance to put your names down to join the RABI sponsored Farming focused ‘Understanding Mental Health’ training day, on Saturday 7th October at The Club. This event is open to all members.
The Westmorland Show. The Chairman and I are hosting a reception in the President’s Lounge between 4.00 and 5.30pm for members and our guests at the Westmorland County Show on 13th September. We currently have 16 members signed up to join us, so could I please encourage all those thinking about attending to sign up now and where possible bring along your friends and prospective new members. In addition, our guest speaker, Mary Smith, Chief Exec of ‘Growing Well’, will provide insight on rural mental health issues. Meurig and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the Show.
And finally…
Whilst the holiday season may be at an end for some; for many in the farming sector this year’s irregular weather has brought challenge after challenge, so for many members, the harvest will no doubt continue for some time yet. Whilst I can’t promise an Indian Summer in September, I can guarantee that The Club will return to its usual high tempo of life, and we look forward to seeing you in the coming weeks.
Didi Wheeler
Chief Executive & Club Secretary